'I watched musical based on classic 80s movie - and it was way better'

I'm a huge musical fan, so when I heard there was going to be a brand new UK tour of Heathers - the show, not the 1989 film starring Winona Ryder and Shannen Doherty - I knew I needed to see it. Full disclosure, I've seen the show live three times now. I previously attended the 2023 UK run, starring Jenna Innes and Jacob Fowler, but this time around, I'm happy to report, it was even better.

The 2026 run of Heathers the musical stars Gerardine Sacdalan as Veronica Sawyer, the loser kid who finds herself dragged into a friendship group with 'the Heathers' - Heather Chandler (Liberty Stottor), Heather Duke (Jessica Ibadin) and Heather McNamara (Lou Henry). Determined to pull herself out of a life on the outside, Veronica will do what it takes to be one of the in crowd - at least until she meets mysterious bad boy JD (Louis Hearsey).

Of course, the musical follows the general plot of the film, murders and all. If I were to pitch Heathers to the uninitiated, I'd describe it as a darker and funnier version of High School Musical. There are explosions and shootings and staged suicides, but in the end the show still manages to deliver a hopeful message without being too trite.

Upbeat, pop-infused tracks like Dead Girl Walking and Candy Store had the crowd bopping in their seats, while ballads Seventeen and I Say No brought a torrent of both fury and feeling to the teenage characters.

A shoutout here has to go to the cast. Sacdalan brought something to Heathers I've never heard before, not even in Carrie Hope Fletcher's soundtrack recording. Her harmonies are incredible, and the sheer power behind her voice left shivers ricocheting down my spine.

Sophie Manners plays Martha Dunnstock in the 2026 tour, and her riff at the end of Kindergarten Boyfriend - one of the most emotional songs in the show, in my opinion - was incredible. Likewise, Markus Södergren and Beau Jackson, who play abusive jocks Kurt Kelly and Ram Sweeney, infused the entire thing with humour without bringing it too far into the dark themes.

The one mistake this production does make, and it's through no fault of the cast, is its location. Heathers is at The Arts at Marble Arch until August 22nd - currently a temporary installation on Marble Arch roundabout while The Arts theatre undergoes renovation work.

The temporary structure opened this year, and it feels temporary. There is minimal soundproofing in the venue, meaning you can hear police sirens and ambulances roaring past outside, along with the general heavy traffic of central London.

I'm surprised the cast didn't mess up their lines when the sirens outside reached a cacophony. The echo genuinely made me wonder if there was an emergency brewing outside and if we'd all have to be evacuated. But to give the actors their much deserved credit, they did not falter.

Whether you're a fan of the 80s movie or the newer musical, this run of Heathers is a must see.